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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms

@mpm-hki.bsky.social

120 followers 190 following 51 posts

Research group @leibniz-hki.de in Jena, Germany. Studying pathogenicity of yeast-y beasties in the 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢 clade. 🧫🔬🦠🍄 Head: Prof Bernhard Hube Webpage: https://www.leibniz-hki.de/en/microbial-pathogenicity-mechanisms.html

www.leibniz-hki.de

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 2d

The #Candida2025 meeting has started! And what a great kick-off with these two keynote speakers: @slg1717.bsky.social introduced her group's work around IL-17 and our boss Bernie presented a great overview about our group's candidalysin research. 🍄🧬🔬

@leibniz-hki.de
@microbiologysociety.org

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 17h

Thanks to the organizers at @microbiologysociety.org for giving us the opportunity to present our work!

Feel free to contact and approach us anytime during the conference if you have further questions/comments/suggestions! 😊

Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 17h

Hope y'all enjoyed our talks at #Candida2025! Theresa presented yesterday one of her PhD projects about the C. glabrata-macrophage interaction. Tim presented today his work about the antibacterial mechanisms of candidalysin, and Sascha presented Osama's work on C. albicans' lipases.
@leibniz-hki.de

Theresa Lange's plenary session talk about C. glabrata's interaction with macrophages

Tim Schille's presentation about dissecting the antibacterial functions of candidalysin

Sascha Brunke's presentation about Osama Elshafee's work about the C. albicans lipase gene family

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 20h

At today's poster session at #Candida2025 come and check out Anna's poster #B022! She presents her PhD project about Candida albicans protein kinases and how they affect pathogenicity.

@microbiologysociety.org
@trr124-funginet.bsky.social
@leibniz-hki.de

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 1d

Don't miss our posters at #Candida2025 today! Myrto presents poster #A12 about dissecting C. albicans isolates using reporter cell lines. Steffi's poster #A6 is about ECE1 in non-albicans Candida species. And Verena presents her multi-reporter cells at poster #A24.
@microbiologysociety.org

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 2d

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 2d

On our way to the #Candida2025 hosted by the @microbiologysociety.org. Looking forward to see you there! 😊🍄

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 6d

Excieted to see @fungalmeg.bsky.social
from #UNSW #Sydney present her groundbreaking work on harnessing the human microbiome to combat #CandidaAlbicans, along with advances in antifungal polymers we at @leibniz-hki.de have had the pleasure to collaborate on in the past!

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 6d

What a great talk by Megan Lenardon @fungalmeg.bsky.social from the #UNSWSydney! She visited our lab today @leibniz-hki.de and presented her group's work about how to antagonize #Candida albicans infections, either by novel antifungal polymers or via microbiome-based therapeutics. 🦠🧫🔬

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Reposted by Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms

Healthcare in Europe (DE) @health-europe-de.bsky.social · 8d

Am Beispiel des Hefepilzes Candida albicans zeigen Forschende unter Leitung von @lableibundgut.bsky.social, mit Kollegen von @mpm-hki.bsky.social am @leibniz-hki.de und @pasteur.fr, wie das #Immunsystem auf unterschiedliche Pilzstämme reagiert. #Mikrobiologie #Pilzinfektion

Forscher decken Pathogenitätsmechanismus von Hefepilz auf

Candida albicans produziert ein Toxin, das krank macht – aber in geringen Mengen hilft es dem Pilz, um dauerhaft in der Mundschleimhaut zu überleben

healthcare-in-europe.com

Reposted by Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms

Leibniz-HKI @leibniz-hki.de · 12d

Dose makes the difference! #Candidaalbicans uses the toxin #candidalysin not only to cause infections but also to quietly colonize the mouth – too little fails, too much triggers immune defense.

@natmicrobiol.nature.com
@mpm-hki.bsky.social

picture credits: Erik Böhm, @leibniz-hki.de

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 12d

doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Dynamic expression of candidalysin facilitates oral colonization of Candida albicans in mice - Nature Microbiology

Despite being a virulence factor, candidalysin toxin is essential for Candida albicans to penetrate the oral epithelium to establish and maintain non-infectious colonization

doi.org

Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 12d

—but its expression must be tightly controlled to avoid triggering inflammation and being cleared by the host. This explains why even “virulence” factors are essential for fungal commensalism, not just disease.
(2/2)

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 12d

#CandidaAlbicans needs the toxin candidalysin to colonize the oral cavity in mice. A new sudy in collaboration with @lableibundgut.bsky.social and @pasteur.fr shows that candidalysin enables the fungus to cross the outer skin layer, resist the immune response, and maintain its niche—(1/2)

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 12d

Using an IEC model, we show:
🧬 Yeast hitchhike with invasive hyphae via candidalysin-driven damage
⚠️ Barrier disruption alone allows yeast translocation
🔑 PES1 links hypha-to-yeast transition with crossing efficiency

Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 12d

🚨New paper out in microLife!
We uncover how Candida albicans yeast cells cross intestinal barriers during infection.

📖 Read more: academic.oup.com/microlife/ad...

Fungal determinants contributing to translocation of Candida albicans yeast cells through the intestinal epithelial barrier

Abstract. Filamentous hyphae are the main invasive morphotype of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans. However, yeast cells seem better suite

academic.oup.com

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 14d

Paul Mathias Jansen presenting his exciting work comparing environmental and clinical #CandidaAlbicans strains at #DGHM @leibniz-hki.de

Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 15d

Excellent talk! Our Postdoc Steffi Allert presented another part of Tim's @microverse.bsky.social -funded project about the role of ECE1 (the gene that encodes candidalysin) in non-albicans #Candida species. 🧬🍄
Feel free to find her during the coffee break for further questions!
@leibniz-hki.de

Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 15d

Well done! Myrto's Master's student Taniya Banerjee presented her work at the #DGHM about infection dynamics of clinical #Candida albicans isolates.🍄😊
@leibniz-hki.de

Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 15d

And another excellent talk at todays #EukaryoticPathogens session at the #DGHM by Myrto Katsipoulaki! 😊 She presented her #LPI -funded project about designing multi-reporter cell lines. 🎆🧬
If you have questions about her work, feel free to ask her during the coffee break!

@leibniz-hki.de

Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 15d

Hope y'all enjoyed Tim's talk at the #DGHM as much as we did! He presented his @microverse.bsky.social -funded PhD work on the antibacterial mechanisms of candidalysin. 🦠🍄🧫
He's still around for a chat in case you have questions about his project! 😊

@leibniz-hki.de

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Reposted by Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms

SPP2225 @spp2225.bsky.social · 16d

Big congrats to Joachim Matz from #BNITM! Joachim, also a consortium member of our EXIT Priority Programme received the #DGHM Sponsorship Award today in Jena. Keep up the great work, Joachim!

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Reposted by Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms

Infect-Net @infect-net.bsky.social · 15d

🔎 Find us at the 77th #DGHM Meeting in #Jena! Gabriele Pradel, Anja Lührmann, Sandra Reuter, Bärbel Stecher and others are happy to tell you more about our German network for women in infection research! 💜
👩‍🔬@gabrielepradel.bsky.social @sandrareuter.bsky.social @baerboletta.bsky.social

Die Infektionsforscherinnen Anja Lührmann, Sandra Reuter, Gabriele Pradel und Bärbel Stecher stehen stolz vor den Werbebannern von Infect-Net, Verband Deutscher Infektionsforscherinnen.

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Reposted by Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms

Leibniz-HKI @leibniz-hki.de · 16d

Biophelion, a @leibniz-hki.de spin-off, turns industrial waste into sustainable materials! 🌱♻️ Using a black yeast, they create biodegradable polyesters, pullulan & new eco-friendly surfactants.
@sprind-de.bsky.social
@tilltiso.bsky.social
Pictures: @sprind-de.bsky.social, Tillmann Franzen

Biophelion aims to recover new recyclable materials from industrial waste in the future.

Biophelion also gives young scientists the opportunity to gain qualifications.

The two founders, Lars Regestein (left) and Till Tiso (right), on their way to the laboratories of the BioInstrumentezentrum.

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Reposted by Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms

Infect-Net @infect-net.bsky.social · 15d

🏆 Fighting the Gender Award Gap: Microbiologist Prof Dr Lisa Maier from @unituebingen.bsky.social received the main award of the German Association for #Microbiology and Hygiene at the #DGHM meeting in Jena. Congratulations to @lisamaierlab.bsky.social we are proud of you! 💜
📸 Gabriele Pradel

Bildschirmpräsentation mit der Vita von Prof. Dr. Lisa Maier, Mikrobiologin an der Uni Tübingen, zur Verleihung des Hauptpreises der DGHM in Jena.

Mikrobiologin Prof. Dr. Antje Flieger liest die Laudatio für Prof. Dr. Lisa Maier zur Verleihung des Hauptpreises der DGHM in Jena. Preisträgerin Lisa Maier steht links neben ihr.

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Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms @mpm-hki.bsky.social · 15d

Excellent talks in this Plenary Session 3 at the #DGHM chaired by our #Postdoc Sascha Brunke! 👏😊
Don't miss out todays #EukaryoticPathogens Session in the afternoon with talks from our PhD candidates!
@leibniz-hki.de